January 5th, 2022 at 11:14 AM ^
Michigan is not responsible for things DJ Durkin did after he left, so I don't feel any embarrassment that he was here for (a bit less than) a year.
Not that they've ever shown much inclination to care about it, but not a good look for TAMU.
January 5th, 2022 at 11:19 AM ^
This is true, though I do think he showed some of this same behavior at UM (based on various stories that came out in the fallout of his Maryland stint) but obviously he wasn't here long enough or in a position of power sufficient to really hurt anyone.
I agree it's not some pox on Harbaugh that he hired this guy but it's still bothersome that he keeps seemingly failing up despite what happened. There's a good chance he's going to be an HC again in the 3-4 years.
January 5th, 2022 at 11:41 AM ^
Brian Kelly got a kid killed and just signed a $100M contract to be a HC at LSU. Nothing should surprise you about the morality of the SEC.
January 5th, 2022 at 11:47 AM ^
Yeah, but with Kelly at least you have a history of winning. I mean, Urban Meyer is an awful person by most accounts but he's really good at his job so I can see people ignoring those red flags. Durkin had a losing record at Maryland and then oversaw one of the worst defenses in college football in 2020 before rebounding somewhat in 2021. It's the mediocre guy getting numerous changes to not be mediocre that's a bit surprising.
January 5th, 2022 at 11:15 AM ^
I'm hoping this backfires on A&M.
Durkin's baggage should be a major red flag. But then again, it's the SEC and "it just means more"...
January 5th, 2022 at 12:40 PM ^
I'm hoping this backfires on A&M.
I'm sure it will. Mistakes generally reveal themselves in due time.
January 5th, 2022 at 11:15 AM ^
Well, I don't love that.
January 5th, 2022 at 11:16 AM ^
Should be good news for Partridge
January 5th, 2022 at 11:17 AM ^
They just spent all that $$$ on all these 5 stars so Durkin can come in and mistreat them?
Weird
January 5th, 2022 at 11:27 AM ^
It's possible that he has changed his approach; wouldn't be the first time. And then we'll probably get a variety of feelingsball headlines like "A Humbled DJ Durkin Leads With a Renewed Purpose" from a couple of Texas outlets and maybe a national media columnist or something.
But it is eminently fair to ask whether someone should get that chance. He didn't get fired because his defense gave up 50 points, or even because he struck a player (which *does* get coaches fired). A player died due to his leadership of a football program.
In Duluth there has been news about a coach bus driver driving a local high school basketball team while drunk. I paid significant attention to it since I do some side gig bus driving (he worked for a competitor to the company I help with). The guy was at a tournament an hour from the high school in question and went out during the game. He was visibly dangerous with the team and the coach had to demand that he stop the bus halfway home, and he blew a .218.
He is facing a lot of charges and is in, obviously, big trouble.
Now, he might get his life together. Quit drinking, get help, change things. But he just threw away his career a as a coach driver and he's not getting hired again, and that's just too bad. There are some mistakes you don't get takebacks on.
Durkin shouldn't be in a position to lead at this level. Maybe work as an analyst for a team, or even a position coach under someone's supervision? I could see that. But he forfeited the right to have this level of responsibility, and I don't care how much he has or hasn't "changed."
January 5th, 2022 at 11:30 AM ^
I'm not sure a change in approach gets him all the way back. This isn't just a change in coaching philosophy; he has to stop being a dirtbag. I don't really believe many people at that age and station in their lives truly, fundamentally change for the better.
January 5th, 2022 at 11:35 AM ^
They can and I've seen it happen. I have no idea if Durkin has, but it's possible; I don't think it matters, he shouldn't be in the position.
January 5th, 2022 at 12:30 PM ^
That's why I said I don't believe "many" people change. If anything, I would think the fact that he keeps continuing to get hired only emboldens him and reinforces his behavior in his mind.
January 5th, 2022 at 12:45 PM ^
That may also be so.
My greater point is that we might see news of a "Kinder, gentler" Durkin, and whether it's true or not, I don't think it matters: He shouldn't be in this position.
January 5th, 2022 at 12:43 PM ^
Edit: deleted
January 5th, 2022 at 11:18 AM ^
DJ Durkin's fuck-ups happened well after he was part of Michigan's program, so in no way should Harbaugh or the program feel any shame or responsibility in what happened at Maryland. Not saying they do, but that means we shouldn't either.
Still, not too happy in how he handled OSU's gameplan when it was pretty clear he spent that entire week focusing on interviewing for Maryland instead. I'm not sure there's much we could've done to win that day. That was a focused and pissed off OSU team looking to vent against its biggest rival, but there is definitely a gameplan that could've been drawn up that would've made the score look a lot more respectable.
January 5th, 2022 at 11:23 AM ^
DJ Durkin is a hell of a DC coach. If he had stayed at Michigan, we prob would have had at least one other OSU victory by now.
It is sad what happened at Maryland under Durkin. He simply wasn't ready to be the leader of a program.
January 5th, 2022 at 11:29 AM ^
Found Durkin's burner.
January 5th, 2022 at 2:37 PM ^
I’ve been promoted to positions I wasn’t quite ready for at the time. But I didn’t make my subordinates lives miserable by intimidating them, belittling them, or berating them. Oh, I also didn’t kill any employees under my watch.
DJ Durkin is a massive piece of shit and you can’t spin it any other way. Fuck that dude with a 30 foot dildo.
January 5th, 2022 at 11:32 AM ^
Jesus. CFB is really a fail upward industry.
January 5th, 2022 at 1:08 PM ^
Charlie Weis says hi!
January 5th, 2022 at 11:33 AM ^
it should be noted that Durkin got his start as a grad asst to another notable maniac in Urban Meyer at Bowling Green in 2001.
January 5th, 2022 at 11:36 AM ^
People were talking in yesterday's Texas A&M thread about whether college sports have corrupted universities. I agree that they broadly have not and that worries about coaches and players making money are overblown with respect to that issue. But this is a case of a sort of corruption. Maybe I'm wrong, but I have hard time imagining a university hiring, say, a chemistry professor whose failure leading a lab at another school led to the death of a student. But here A&M hires the equivalent for the sake of winning football games.
January 5th, 2022 at 11:58 AM ^
i didn't see that part of the other thread (and thank goodness, honestly, as i Have Thoughts, and my night would've gone completely sideways).
but i agree - i don't know how d.j. durkin ever works in the college ranks again. there's documented evidence that his actions, in some regard, led to the death of a player under his care. how can any university bring him on after that?
ESPECIALLY texas a&m, which...google "texas a&m bonfire" and check that out. it's not the same thing, obviously, but good god. safety of students?
January 5th, 2022 at 12:29 PM ^
Who among us can really say they haven't unintentionally killed someone at their job?
January 5th, 2022 at 11:41 AM ^
A&M spending ridiculously so, hiring people with questionable character, doing whatever it takes to win (they believe).
Losing by 30 to Bama next year. Lock.
January 5th, 2022 at 11:43 AM ^
Looks like A&M is trying to build a natty team for the next couple of years. This is an okay hire, he is good but not great.
January 5th, 2022 at 12:18 PM ^
It's newsworthy that this guy got another pretty high-profile job in spite of his character, but let's otherwise forget he was ever associated with M and move on. So much other more positive (and even other but less negative) news to discuss!
January 5th, 2022 at 12:57 PM ^
i don't see this as an indictment of A&M or the SEC. if it wasn't them, it would be someone else. more disturbing is how far we've fallen as a society that he could ever get a high level coaching job again in his life.
January 5th, 2022 at 2:19 PM ^
That college presidents and boards continue to put clearly abusive, violent people in charge of young people sickens me. He will undoubtedly craft more men just as abusive as he is.
January 5th, 2022 at 4:25 PM ^
That guy doesn’t deserve to go coach a bunch of 5*….hell anyone.
January 5th, 2022 at 5:45 PM ^